We remember Luis Tiant’s career because he won 229 games in the majors. He also led the AL in ERA in 1968 and 1972. Along with Juan Marichal, he was one of the best righthanders that we grew up watching.
We also remember his father, one of the best pitchers in Cuban history and The Negro Leagues. He pitched in the US, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, as well as touring with teams from 1926 through 1948. Unfortunately, he never got to play in the major leagues.
On this day in 1975, a proud father watched his son pitch a World Series beauty or a brilliant 6-0 shutout against Cincinnati in game 1 of the 1975 World Series. He did it against a lineup that included Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, fellow Cuban Tony Perez, David Concepcion, George Foster and a few others. They were called The Big Red Machine for a reason!
Tiant came back and won game 4 with a complete game that featured 163 pitches! He started game 6, after a few days of rain, but did not get a decision. That was the game where Carlton Fisk hit the HR in the bottom of the 12th.
And we recall that his father died in 1976. It must have been a very emotional moment to catch his son pitch in the major leagues for the first time!
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